The European Commission says the message to vaccine manufacturers is very clear and asks them to do their utmost to comply with the contracts they signed with the bloc, its spokesman said on Friday.
Eric Mamer, the main spokesman for the trade bloc, addressed Italy’s decision to block the export of 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia at a press conference.
“The message is very clear … that we expect companies with which the European Union has signed advance purchase agreements to do their utmost to fulfill the contracts with the delivery contracts they have with Member States,” said Mamer.
The fact is that the European Union is a major exporter of vaccine doses, ”he added.
“We have always said that we were, in fact, in intense discussions with the company to ensure compliance with the delivery schedule because the EMA authorized this vaccine, and we are asking member states to use it.”
The spokesman also said that it is not up to the EU to inform the company where the doses should go, adding that they are still in AstraZeneca’s possession.
“We didn’t make a decision that says these 250,000 doses should go to X or Y, that is not our business,” he said.
“Our business is to say that a decision has been made by the Italian authorities that we have supported exports, because the assessment is that it is necessary to move forward with delivery to EU countries, and this is basically the conversation that we will continue to have with the company. “